Which is better to go into Elementary Education or Special Education???

[sarahbug527]

I am know I want to go into teaching but I am not sure whether I want to go into elementary education or special education. I love working with people and kids and I love helping people with special needs. A little background info I am a freshmen at a Community College so I will transfer in a year. I'm not a big fan of math. I am from a small town and would like to stay around there if that is possible. All three of my Aunts are teachers. Two teach first grade and the other teaches at a the Community College I go to. Any help with this would be really helpful I am trying to play my classes for summer so the sooner I decide what I want to do the better. Thanks so much!

[pertinential]

It mostly depends on your preference. If you want to teach children with special needs, you can. The only thing I can think of is that if you teach elementary education, you'll have more students. Most schools already have teachers for people with special needs.

[MeOhMy]

As a first grade and later second grade teacher who has a Master's in Special Education and who also teachs Reading Recovery, it all depends on your interests. In the regular classroom you can see the fruit of your labors fairly quickly. For example in 1st/2nd grade you can see kids go from a very low level of academic and/or social progress and see them make progress very quickly. On the other hand working with kids who have special needs you may see slow or no progress. There is a LOT of paperwork for SPED teachers. The class sizes are generall smaller and/or you may be working with another teacher(s) in her/his classroom (meaning they call the shots). Honestly, if I had it to do over, I would have gotten my Master's in something like Guidance Counseling...I would stay out of the classroom...Today's society does not appreciate how hard we work and most parents are not that involved with their childs/childrens' education and they expect that you can teach 20-25 kids who are at numerous levels and they should have no responsibility for their child's education. I am blessed that I work in a community where I have a lot of support and I have been very successful...but it is hard work and pretty thankless...Trust me, I ONLY do it for the children because I love them so much! So think long and hard before you make your final decision!

[luv2teach]

Here are some pros and cons to each:
There is a large demand for special education teachers.
You will have a smaller class size if you teach special education.
The down-side to a degree in special education is that if you change your mind, it is hard to get hired anywhere else if you have that special ed. degree because there's such a need for it (this is what I was told by a principal when I was debating a special education job). If you get a elementary ed. degree, and you change your mind, you can teach special ed. in most states for 2 years before going back to get certified.
Teaching is rewarding either way. I think you really have to have a passion for teaching to be one and I think you have to have a special 'calling' to teach special education. Good luck!